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[Illustration:
_MAP OF_
MAVER AL NAHAR
_OR_
TRANSOXANIA
_with the adjoining
PROVINCES_.]
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THE
MULFUZĀT TIMŪRY,
OR
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS
OF THE
MOGHUL EMPEROR TIMŪR,
WRITTEN IN THE
JAGTAY TŪRKY LANGUAGE,
TURNED INTO PERSIAN BY
ABU TALIB HUSSYNY,
AND
TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY
MAJOR CHARLES STEWART,
LATE PROFESSOR OF ORIENTAL LANGUAGES
IN THE HONOURABLE EAST INDIA COMPANY’S COLLEGE.
PRINTED FOR THE ORIENTAL TRANSLATION COMMITTEE,
AND SOLD BY
J. MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET; PARBURY, ALLEN AND CO. LEADENHALL STREET;
AND HOWELL AND STEWART, HOLBORN.
1830.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
LONDON: PRINTED BY W. NICOL, CLEVELAND ROW,
ST. JAMES’S.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TO
COLONEL DAVY,
TRACEY PARK, SOMERSETSHIRE.
--------------
DEAR SIR,
As the Public are indebted to your late Father not only
for his able Translation of the Institutes of the Emperor Timūr,
but also for his having with much perseverance procured and
first brought to Europe an authentic copy of the Memoirs of that
Monarch, I have much pleasure in dedicating to you my
Translation of those Memoirs, in hopes of assisting in some
degree to transmit to posterity so meritorious a name.
I have the honour to be,
Dear Sir,
your obedient humble servant,
CHARLES STEWART.
_Bath, May, 1830._
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PREFACE.
--------------
THE fame of Timūr, erroneously called Tamerlane, although long known to
some persons in Europe, was more generally communicated to the Public in
the year 1722, by the labours of the indefatigable Orientalist, Petis de
la Croix, who translated from the Persian language the History of that
Monarch, denominated _Zuffer Namēh_, or _Book of Victory_, by Sherif
Addyn Aly of Yezd.
In the year 1723, the French edition was turned into English by Mr. John
Darby, who dedicated his work to His Royal Highness Frederic Prince of
Wales, but these histories commence only with the twenty-fifth year of
Timūr’s age. Iben Arab Shāh’s Arabic History of Timūr, called the _Ajaib
al Mukhlukāt_, _Wonders of the Creation_, was translated into Latin by
Golius in 1636, and again by Manger in 1767 and 1772, but, being more of
a coarse satire on that Prince than his real history, it is little
worthy of credit, and has consequently fallen into disrepute.
In the year 1783, Professor White of Oxford, published a Persian Edition
of the _Institutes_ of Timūr, with an English translation by Major
William Davy of the Honourable East India Company’s Service,[1] which
was deservedly much admired, and as it was the cause of producing the
Translation of the following Memoirs, I shall take the liberty hereafter
of subjoining a portion of its Preface.
In the year 1787, the late Professor Langlès of Paris, published a
French translation of the _Institutes_, under the title of
“Instituts Politiques et Militaires de Tamerlane proprement
appellé Timour, ecrits par lui-même en Mogol, et traduits en
François sur la version Persane d’Abou Taleb al Hosseini, avec
la Vie de ce Conquerant, &c. &c.”
William Erskine, Esq. in his Preface to the Memoirs of Baber, published
in 1826, (in praise of which work too much cannot be said) informs us,
that he had seen at Bombay, a complete Persian translation of the
Autographic Memoirs of Timour, the original of which had been found in
the library of Jaafer Pashā of Yemen, and that it appears by Astley’s
Collection of Voyages, that a person of that name was Pashā of Yemen in
1610. This is of importance, as it nearly fixes the date of the Persian
Translation, which is confirmed by the dedication of the work to the
Emperor Shāh Jehan of Hindūstan.
Having thus premised, I proceed to give a description of the Manuscript
brought from India by Major Davy, which I have undertaken to translate:
it is an Octavo volume, written in the common Persian hand, and as it
has never been bound, was probably copied for that gentleman in
Calcutta, it is enclosed in an old cover, on which is written in Major
Davy’s hand; “This Manuscript, which is a fragment of Timūr’s, is very
valuable, therefore preserve it with care. N. B. It is to be put in the
little black writing box.”
The Manuscript contains four hundred and fifty-seven pages; after the
Persian Translator’s Preface, it commences with the _Institutes_, which
nearly agree with the printed edition; these are succeeded by the
Designs and Enterprizes of the printed copy, after which follows the
Book of _Omens_, mentioned in the 8th page of Dr. White’s Preface, and
which I might probably also have omitted in my translation, did I not
fear the reproach of having left part of my work undone.[2]
The History commences at the 188th page, with the birth of Timūr, A. H.
736, (A. D. 1336,) and is continued in the form of annals till A. H.
777, being the forty-first year of his age, omitting the last thirty
years of his life.
It is written in a careless manner, occasionally obscure, with much
tautology, and some repetitions, but without any break in the detail,
except at the commencement of a new year, evidently evincing that the
art of book-making has not been employed to set it off, and that it is a
translation from some language less polished than the Persian.[3] I have
however found it requisite to divide the Translation into Books and
Chapters.
In comparing Major Davy’s Translation with Petis de la Croix’s, I have
found so much discrepancy between their spelling of Oriental names, that
one can hardly suppose the same persons, or places are meant, I have
therefore ventured to make an innovation in Anglo-Oriental orthography,
by making use of such of our letters as agree with the Persian Alphabet.
The _exact_ pronunciation of a proper name is of little consequence to
the European reader, while the Oriental student will be thus enabled to
transpose it into the Persian character; some of the names of places
have been so long settled, that I have not interfered with them, but
take this opportunity of stating that _Kund_ or _Kend_, in the Tūrky
language, signifies a town, and therefore forms the termination of the
names of many cities; Turān, called by the Greeks, Transoxiana, and by
the Arabs, Maveralneher, should properly be spelled Ma-verā-al-neher:
_that which is beyond the river_. Khurasān being the Eastern province of
Persia, was called the Region of the Sun.
We are very much indebted to the French Literati for information on
Oriental subjects, but they have led us into a very false orthography by
their partiality for the letter C, which does not exist in the Persian
language, and their alteration of several important letters.
Almost all Arabic names have meanings, and are derived from a root of
three letters, thus from H. M. D. _praise_, is derived Muhammed, _the
greatly praised_, consequently the writing of it Mahomet, as is
frequently done, destroys the etymology; Amr, signifies _command_,
whence Amyr, _Commander_, which should always be written with the first
letter of the alphabet, although frequently written _Emir_ and _Umeer_;
Amyr al Mumenyn, _Commander of the Faithful_, must be in the
recollection of every person who has read the Arabian Nights’
Entertainments.
Some of the French authors write,
Dragoman for Terjūmān, an Interpreter;
Chagān for Khakān, an Emperor;
Chacan for Shegun, an Omen;
whilst the letters j, y, t and d are constantly interchanged.
The Persian short vowel called _Zubber_, is sounded in Persia as short
a, in Turkey as short e, in India as short u, and causes a difference in
the pronunciation of the natives of these countries; but as the letter E
has six sounds in French, and at least three in English, the variation
is not greater than, is to be found in the dialects of England,
Scotland, and Ireland.
I am aware that it is impossible to fix the pronunciation of any
language, but as it is desirable that Translators should observe an
uniform system, and the mode suggested by Sir William Jones having
failed of success, I venture to propose a more simple one, which will
save most of the diacritical points, so troublesome both to the writer
and to the reader; viz. that of using such of our consonants as agree
with those of the Persian Alphabet.
With respect to the vowels,
let the short e represent the Persian vowel Zebber.
short i, - Zere.
short u, - Pysh.
Let our ā, ū, and y, represent the corresponding long vowels, alif, vau,
and ye, this latter to be generally sounded ee, or as the French i of
_Dire_, _Lire_, &c.
Our slender _a_ in _Slave_, &c. does not exist in Persian, and the only
word in which the open _o_ occurs, is in _Koh_, a mountain, therefore
probably a misnomer. In Arabic it is formed by the letters _Ain_ or
_Alif_ with the vowel Pysh, as عُمْرْ age; اُمراء nobles. The Arabic
K may be sometimes used for C, but as it adds to the number of letters,
without an adequate advantage, I think it better omitted.
* * * * *
_Note, referred to at page v._ Mr. William Davy went out to
India as a Cadet, about the year 1767, and having early applied
himself to the study of the Persian language, was selected by
Sir Robert Barker, Commander-in-Chief of Bengal, to be his
Secretary and Persian Interpreter; in this situation he was in
constant habits of associating and transacting business with
many of the principal natives; and even with the Great Moghul,
or Emperor of Delhy; after a residence of twelve years, he
returned to England. When the late Lord Macartney was appointed
to the government of Madras, he requested Major Davy to
accompany him; they sailed in 1781, but on their arrival found
the whole of the Carnatic overrun by the armies of Hyder Aly,
and the Major seeing there was no field then open for his
abilities, proceeded to Calcutta, and was immediately taken into
the family of the Governor General, Warren Hastings, where he
employed himself in the duties of his office, the pursuit of his
studies, and collecting information.
In the year 1784, he again embarked for England, but died on his
passage home; his books and papers were however carefully
transmitted to his executors, and by them made over to his son,
now Colonel Davy of Tracey Park, near Bath, in whose library,
the MS. of which I have undertaken the translation, remained
unexamined till last year, when in consequence of my report of
it to the Royal Asiatic Society, it was recommended to the
Oriental Translation Committee. The following extract of a
letter respecting the authenticity of the Institutes, was
written by Major Davy, previous to his return to India, and was
published with the Preface to that work.
* * * * *
_Extract of a Letter from the late Major Davy, to the late Doctor
White, Laudian Professor of Arabic in the University of Oxford,
dated October 24, 1779._
“The History of Timour, written by himself, carries with it the
strongest proofs that he wrote for posterity only; and that he could
not, in prudence, or in policy, make his work public during his life:
for it contains not only the same accurate detail of the facts and
occurrences of his reign, as are found in other authors, but it goes
much further. He gives you that which he only had the power to give, the
secret springs and motives which influenced his conduct in the various
political and military transactions of his life, the arts by which he
governed, as well as the power by which he conquered. He acknowledges
his weaknesses, honestly owns his errors, describes the difficulties in
which he was occasionally involved by those errors, and the policy by
which he surmounted and overcame those difficulties. In a word, it is a
compleat Index to his head and his heart; and though, take it all in
all, it redounds to the honour of both the one and the other, yet it was
a work by no means calculated for the perusal of his enemies, or even
his subjects during his life; since it would have enabled those who
chose it, to combat him with his own weapons, or, in other words, to
have turned his arts and his policy against himself. Hence it is
reasonable to suppose, that the work in question was entirely unknown
during his life; and its subsequent temporary obscurity may, I think, be
plausibly accounted for, by the probability of one copy only existing at
the time of his death, by the uncertainty into whose hands that copy
fell, and by the divisions which followed in his family after the death
of Shaahroch.
“Abu Taulib ul Husseini, in the Dedication of his Translation to Sultaun
ul Audil, says, that in the library of Jafir, Haukim of Yemmun, he met
with a manuscript in the Turki or Mogul language, which, on inspection,
proved to be the History of Timour, written by himself; containing an
account of his life and actions from the seventh to the seventy-fourth
year of his age, &c. &c. He then proceeds to give the Translation of the
said History, in which are included the Institutes.
“It may appear remarkable that the Translator should say so little, or
in fact nothing, to prove the authenticity of the valuable work, which
he was about to translate. It has an extraordinary appearance, I allow;
but, I think, the following inferences only can be drawn from it: either
that he thought the work itself contained sufficient proofs of its own
authenticity, or that at the period when he translated it, it was so
well known, as not to admit of doubt, or dispute. For my part, I think
his inattention to this point is a very strong, if not the strongest
possible proof, that the History and Institutes of Timour are genuine.
“An European critic may say, that this same Abu Taulib might have wrote
the work himself in the Persian language, and have imposed it upon the
world as a Translation from the Royal Mogul author. This I take to be
impossible. Authors in the East neither sold their works to booksellers,
nor published by subscription, nor depended for support on the applause,
the generosity, or the credulity of the public: they were patronized by
Princes, who rewarded their labours in proportion to the value of their
works. And therefore, if Abu Taulib had been capable of writing such a
work, he never would have been guilty of so dangerous and foolish an
artifice, which could tend only to diminish both his fame and his
profit. The applause and the reward due to the Translator of an
excellent work, must, whatever his merit, be inferior to those which are
due to the author of such a work; if therefore he had been master of
abilities to write the Life and Institutes of Timour, as there written,
he would have spoke in the third person instead of the first (no other
alteration being necessary,) and have stood forth as the author of the
first and best History of the Life of Timour, that ever was wrote; for
which he must have obtained both applause and profit tenfold. The same
mode of reasoning will hold good to prove that the _Turki_ copy could
not be wrote by any _Mogul_ author, but him to whom it is ascribed,
Timour himself.
“The noble simplicity of diction, the plain and unadorned egotism that
runs through the whole of the Institutes and History of Timour, are
peculiarities which mark their originality and their antiquity also. The
Orientals, for some centuries past, have adopted a very different mode
of writing; the best of their historical works are filled with poetical
and hyperbolical flowers and flourishes, which are so numerous, and
occur so frequently, that many a _folio_ volume, weeded and pruned of
these superfluities, would be reduced to a very moderate _octavo_.
“The only work bearing the least resemblance to the Life and Institutes
of Timour, which has fallen under my observation, is the History (or
Commentaries) of Sultaun Babour, written by himself.[4] Babour was
descended from Timour in the fifth degree; he was the son of Omer, the
son of Abu Saeed, the son of Mahummud, the son of Meraun Shaah, the son
of Timour. About eighty years elapsed between the death of Timour and
the birth of Babour. Babour in the twelfth year of his age, and the
899th year of the Hejra, sat upon the throne of his father, in the
kingdom of Furgauneh. The earlier part of his life very much resembled
that of his great predecessor, Timour: and his abilities in the field
and in the cabinet, his fortitude in distress, his activity and courage
when surrounded with difficulties and danger, and the glory and success
with which his enterprizes were finally crowned, make the resemblance
between these two Princes still more striking. Like Timour, Babour wrote
an accurate History of his own Life and Actions in the _Turki_ language;
which though by no means equal to the admirable composition of his
renowned ancestor, is a work of infinite merit. Yet this history, great
as the Royal Author was, remained in obscurity till the middle of the
reign of his grandson Acbur, when it was translated into the Persian
language by one of his Omrahs, Khaun a Khaunaun. It is more difficult to
account for the temporary obscurity of this valuable work, than for that
of Timour’s; for at the death of Babour it must have fallen into the
hands of his son Humaioon, and on his death, into those of Acbur. Yet
till the middle of his reign it remained unknown and untranslated: and
if Acbur had, in the early part of his life, been driven from his
throne, if divisions had taken place in his family, and his posterity
had been scattered abroad, this valuable manuscript might have fallen
into private hands, and have remained unknown for a century longer;
possibly, have been totally lost. No critic, either Oriental or
European; pretends to dispute the authenticity of Babour’s History; and,
as far as I have been able to discover, the learned of the East consider
the Institutes and History of Timour as equally genuine.
“I was acquainted with several great and learned men in India, both
natives and Persians: on perusing the works of Timour, I was led to make
the same enquiry which you have made, whether they were, or were not
authentic? The answers I received were always in the affirmative, and
attended with some tokens and expressions of surprize, that I should, or
could, doubt their being genuine. Shaah Aulum, the present Mogul, has a
beautiful copy of the History and Institutes of Timour; which he holds
in such esteem, and of which he is so exceedingly careful, that though
he granted me the use of any other book in his possession, this he
positively excepted by name, as a work so rare and valuable, that he
could not trust it to the care of any person whatever.[5]
“Upon the whole, if the learned of the East, for several generations,
have been induced to give implicit credit to the Institutes and History
of Timour, which is certainly the case, I do not see how Europeans can,
with any degree of propriety, doubt their authenticity. The Oriental
critics have the very best materials on which to form their opinions;
our small stock of knowledge in the language, and still smaller stock of
Asiatic Historians, render us very incompetent judges of the point in
question. There are a great number of Oriental Manuscripts in the
libraries of the learned; but I am convinced, that there are still many,
very many, which never have found, and possibly never will find, their
way into Europe; and therefore, though no _historical_ evidence can be
produced to prove the authenticity of the works of Timour, yet no one
can pretend to say, that such _historical_ proofs do not exist. The
learned of the East must be the best judges whether they do, or do not
merit their belief and veneration; and they have thought proper to
bestow upon them both the one and the other. It is much to be regretted,
that the Life of Timour, written by himself, is not to be found in
Europe: if that, and the Institutes could be translated and published
together, such is the accuracy of the narrative, such the importance of
the matter, and such the lights that they would mutually reflect on each
other, that it would, I conceive, be impossible for any one to read
them, without acquiescing in their authenticity from the _internal_
evidence alone.[6]
Yours, most assuredly,
WILLIAM DAVY.”
-----
Footnote 1:
See Note at the end of the Preface.
Footnote 2:
Monsieur Langlès says in the sixth page of his Preface; “ces
superstitions sont, pour le philosophe, des renseignemens certains sur
les mœurs et sur l’esprit des hommes. J’engage donc M. M. Davy et
White à faire cette restitution, si ce n’est pas à l’érudition, du
moins à la Philosophie.”
Footnote 3:
The Tūrky language differs as much from the modern Turkish, as the
Saxon does from the English.
Footnote 4:
See Memoirs of Baber, published by William Erskine, Esq. in 1826, the
Preface, Introduction, and Notes to which, contain a vast deal of
information, and the whole of the work is highly creditable to the
learned author.
Footnote 5:
Times are since altered, and I have now lying before me two authentic
transcripts of the Emperor’s copy, an account of which will be
hereafter given; CHARLES STEWART.
Footnote 6:
See also Dr. White’s Preface to the Institutes, page 6.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
--------------
INTRODUCTION. xv
PREFACE TO THE PERSIAN TRANSLATION. 1
BOOK I.—TEZŪKĀT. 3
CHAPTER I. 3
BOOK IV.—MULFUZĀT. 4
CHAPTER I. 4
CHAPTER II. 6
CHAPTER III. 9
CHAPTER IV. 11
CHAPTER V. 13
CHAPTER VI. 15
CHAPTER VII. 18
BOOK V. COMMENCEMENT OF THE HISTORY. 21
CHAPTER I. 21
CHAPTER II. 25
CHAPTER III. 27
CHAPTER IV. 31
CHAPTER V. 34
CHAPTER VI. 43
CHAPTER VII. 46
CHAPTER VIII. 49
CHAPTER IX. 52
CHAPTER X. 54
CHAPTER XI. 60
CHAPTER XII. 63
CHAPTER XIII. 66
CHAPTER XIV. 73
CHAPTER XV. 76
CHAPTER XVI. 84
CHAPTER XVII. 86
CHAPTER XVIII. 91
CHAPTER XIX. 94
CHAPTER XX. 96
CHAPTER XXI. 99
CHAPTER XXII. 105
CHAPTER XXIII. 108
CHAPTER XXIV. 112
CHAPTER XXV. 117
CHAPTER XXVI. 119
CHAPTER XXVII. 125
BOOK VI. ACCOUNT OF MY MOUNTING THE THRONE OF THE SOVEREIGNTY IN 133
THE CITY OF BALKH.
CHAPTER I. 133
CHAPTER II. 135
CHAPTER III. 138
CHAPTER IV. 140
CHAPTER V. 145
CHAPTER VI. 148
CHAPTER VII. 150
CHAPTER VIII. 152
CORRIGENDUM. 154
APPENDIX I. 155
APPENDIX II. 156
APPENDIX III. 157
APPENDIX IV. 158
APPENDIX V. 158
APPENDIX VI. 159
APPENDIX VII. 159
APPENDIX VIII. 159
APPENDIX IX. 160
APPENDIX X. 160
APPENDIX XI. 161
APPENDIX XII. 161
APPENDIX XIII. 162
ADDENDA. 163
THE PREFACE OF THE EDITOR TO THE MULFUZĀT TIMŪRY. 164
------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTRODUCTION.
--------------
THE extensive region, formerly called Scythia, and now generally
denominated Tartary, has been inhabited from a very early period by
Nomade nations, who wandered with their flocks and herds from one part
of the continent to another, frequently migrating from the shores of the
Eastern Ocean, to the midst of Europe, where they were known by the
appellation of Goths or Getes, Vandals, Huns, Turks, Tartars, &c.[7]
These nations were subdivided into various tribes and hordes, consisting
of from five thousand to seventy thousand families, who took their names
from some celebrated chieftain, and were subject to their respective
leaders under the title of Khāns (Kings); but when a number of these
nations were united under one leader, he assumed the title of Khākān,
(Emperor).[8]
In the tenth century, a person named Tumenāh Khān, whose descent has
been traced by the Oriental historians from Noah, commanded a horde of
Moghuls then dwelling to the north-west of China, this person had twin
sons, Kubel Khān and Kajuly Behader, whom he prevailed on to sign an
agreement, that the dignity of _Khān_ should continue in the posterity
of the former, and that of _Sepah Salar_, Commander-in-Chief, in the
descendants of the latter.
From the first of these sons was descended, in the fourth degree,
Zingis, called by the Persians, Jengyz Khān, born A. D. 1154, and from
the second in the eighth degree, the hero of the following Memoirs, who
was born in the district of Kesh, province of Maveralnaher, A. D. 1336.
Jengyz or Zingis died in A. D. 1227, having divided his vast dominions
between his four sons, called Jūjy or Tūchy, Jagtay, Auktay, and Tūly;
to the first of these was assigned the extensive kingdom of Kipchāk or
Great Tartary; to the second, Tūrkestān and Maveralnaher, (Transoxiana);
to the third, Mughulistān and Northern China; to the fourth, Persia, and
that part of India, west of the river Indus. Their descendants reigned
over these countries till the time of Timūr, who subdued them all; but
as neither Jengyz or Timūr assumed the title of _Khākān_, (Emperor)
there probably existed a more ancient and honourable family than either
of them.[9] An ancestor of Timūr, named Kerachār Nuyān, was married to a
daughter of Jagtay Khān, second son of Zingis, by which means the two
families became doubly connected; in consequence of which, Timūr bore
the title of _Gūrgān_, son-in-law of the Khān; it also signifies a great
Prince. The continuation of the family history will be given by himself.
* * * * *
P. S. I fear that the number of proper names which occur in this work
will tire my readers, but such is the style of Oriental history; the
reason assigned for it is, that it may serve as a record of the actions
of each chief, and should the author omit any persons, he might be
called to account by the heirs. Mirza Abu Talib, who wrote his Travels
through Europe, in 1803, apologized to his countrymen for the number of
_barbarous_ names he was obliged to relate to them, so that the
complaint is mutual.
-----
Footnote 7:
An ample detail of all these nations will be found in Gibbon’s History
of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
Footnote 8:
See printed copy of the Institutes of Timūr, pages 131 and 285: Gibbon
following the French orthography, calls him Chagan.
Footnote 9:
Since writing the above, I have been informed by one of our best
Chinese scholars, that the Mandarins of that country are called
_Kwans_, but that the title of Jengyz was _Ching-sze Kho-han_.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEMOIRS OF TIMŪR.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PREFACE
TO THE PERSIAN TRANSLATION.
--------------
In the Name of the most merciful God,
Eternal praise is due to the Almighty, who, through his special favour,
said to Adam, Verily we have made thee our vicegerent over the earth;—
He, who fixed the nest of the Phœnix (Ankay) with expanded wings of
victory of the everlasting dominion of his Majesty (Timūr) on the
pinnacle of the lofty mountain of _Kāf_, commanding the world;—
Boundless thanks be also to the Omnipotent, who has exalted above all
the sovereigns of the world the dignity of the _Khelāfet_ and the family
of the Prophet, in order to disseminate the glorious religion of
Muhammed, and renovate the luminous law of _Mustafā_;—
Glory to the Creator, who, having formed the circumference of the
heavens, with all the elements, around the axis of the earth,
established the circle of supreme sovereignty in the blessed person of
his Majesty, confirming the sacred verse of the Korān,
“A just monarch is the Shadow of God, and the guardian of his kingdoms.”
The unworthy and sinful Abū Talib al Hussyny represents to those who
stand at the foot of the royal throne, that during my residence in the
two sacred cities of Mecca and Medina, I saw in the library of Jāfer,
Governor (Hākim) of Yemen, a book, in the _Tūrky_ language, dictated
(mulfuzāt) by his Majesty, who now dwells in paradise, Timūr _Sahib
Kerāny_, may God pardon him all his offences, in which are inserted all
the occurrences of his life from seven to seventy-one years, and in
which he narrates the means by which he had subdued so many countries,
and had become the sovereign of so many dominions, in hopes that this
book may become an exemplar for posterity, and the cause of promoting
religion.
But as the work was written in the Tūrky language interspersed with
Arabic, and therefore difficult to be understood, I have translated it
from Tūrky into easy Persian, that it may be useful to Princes in
administering their affairs and in preserving their authority. Ministers
and Generals may also derive great benefit from the perusal of it in
conducting the business of Government.
May the Almighty God preserve and protect his Imperial Majesty _Sahib
Kerany Sany_[10] (Shāh Jehān) from all the vicissitudes and evils of
life, and keep extended over the heads of mankind the Shadow of his
Sovereignty and Justice through the (intercession) of the Arabian
Prophet, his illustrious descendants, and his beneficent companions.—The
Text will be found in Appendix No. I.
-----
Footnote 10:
Sahib Kerān, signifies Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction; Sany, the
second. Shāh Jehān mounted the throne of Hindūstan, A. H. 1037, A. D.
1628.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEMOIRS OF TIMŪR.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOOK I.—TEZŪKĀT.
--------------
CHAPTER I.
Be it known to my victorious and fortunate Sons, to my noble and
princely Grandsons and others, that,[11]
_Tūrky_.
* * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * *
I have written my Memoirs in the _Tūrky_ language, in order that each
and every one of my posterity, who, by the divine aid, and the
protection of Muhammed, (upon whom and upon his descendants be the peace
of God) shall ascend my Throne and succeed to my Sovereignty, which I
obtained by much labour, toil, marches and wars, (having understood
them) may put in practice those rules and regulations, by which their
Sovereignty and Dominion may be preserved safe from ruin or decay.
* * * * *
N. B. Here follow Books 2d and 3d, being the Institutes and Designs
translated by Major Davy and edited by Professor White, 4to. edition,
Oxford, A. D. 1783; and which also appear in the French edition of the
Institutes, by Monsieur Langlès, Paris, A. D. 1787. In some of the MSS.
that I have examined, the Memoirs precede the Institutes, but in Col.
Davy’s copy they follow them.
-----
Footnote 11:
The following two lines are in the ancient Jagtay Tūrky, the words of
which are not to be found in Meninski’s Dictionary. The lines will be
found in Appendix No. 3.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEMOIRS OF TIMŪR.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOOK IV.—MULFUZĀT.
--------------
CHAPTER I.
Be it known to my fortunate Children, to my intelligent Ministers, to my
faithful and zealous Nobles, that Almighty God, on account of the Twelve
following Rules, which I have constantly practised, hath conferred
greatness on me, and hath made me the Shepherd of his flock, and hath
assisted me by his celestial aid so that I have attained the high
pre-eminence of Sovereignty;—
1st. Having taken in hand the Scales of Justice, I have neither
increased nor decreased (the portion of any one) but weighed equally to
all;
2d. I have administered strict justice to mankind and endeavoured to
discriminate between truth and falsehood;
3d. I paid obedience to the orders of God and respected his holy laws,
and honoured those whom he had honoured;
4th. I had compassion on mankind and conferred benefits on all, and, by
these qualities, I gained the affections of God’s creatures, nor did I
ever vex a single heart by injustice, I never turned away a supplicant
from my court, but whoever took refuge with me I assisted;
5th. I ever gave the affairs of religion precedence over worldly
affairs. I first performed my duty towards God and then attended to my
worldly concerns;
6th. I always spoke the truth, and ever listened to the truth, and with
sincerity performed my religious and secular duties, and avoided the
paths of crookedness. For I have heard that, when God created Adam, the
Angels said to each other, “a creature has been formed whose posterity
will be liars, breakers of their promise, and guilty of wickedness.” The
Lord said to the Angels, I will send a Sword among them, which shall cut
in pieces every perverse or unrighteous person it encounters, as I have
heard that the Sword there meant is (the power of) Princes, it is
therefore incumbent on every Monarch to speak and listen only to truth;
7th. I have always performed whatever I promised to any person, nor ever
deviated from my agreement. I was never guilty of Tyranny nor Injustice,
nor ever permitted myself to fall into vice or infamy, nor, on any
occasion, did I cut the cord of affection due to my children,
grand-children, relations, or connexions;
8th. I considered myself as the Treasurer of the property of God, and
never expended any of his sacred property without the sanction of his
deputies (the clergy). In collecting the revenues from his servants, I
observed lenity and discretion, nor did I ever take the wealth or
possessions of any person unjustly, neither did I employ myself in
accumulating riches or substance, but ever looked to the welfare and
happiness of my soldiers and subjects: thus I did not touch the
accumulations of my Father’s nobles, nor was I covetous of the property
of any person; for it is known to me, by experience, that Amyr Hussyn
having cast the eyes of covetousness upon the property of his soldiers
and subjects, and seized upon the wealth of his Father’s nobles, his
prosperity was soon annihilated;
9th. I considered obedience to God as consisting in submission to his
prophet, and therefore acted according to the Law of Muhammed, and did
nothing contrary to that sacred code: I always considered the
Descendants of Muhammed (on whom be the peace of God) and the companions
of his Holiness as my friends, and performed to them the duties of
affection;
10th. I gave currency to the faith of Islam through all my dominions,
and supported religion, by which means I gave stability to my
Government;—for I had heard that Church and State are twins, and that
every Sovereignty that is not supported by religion soon loses all
authority, and its orders are not obeyed, but that every person, worthy
or unworthy, presumes to meddle therewith;
11th. I gave free admission to the _Syeds_,[12] to the learned, and to
the prelates of religion, and always treated them with great respect,
and never turned any of them away from my court, so that they constantly
attended my assemblies, and induced the people to pray for my
prosperity; I constantly associated with the learned and religious, and
heard from them many anecdotes, both of sacred and profane history;
Thus they related to me that the King of Constantinople, once invaded
the dominions of the King of Ry, but having heard that his Court was
attended by numbers of Syeds, and many learned and devout personages, he
refrained from subduing his country, but wrote to the Ministers and
Nobles, “I have read in the Heavenly books, that whatever Court is
attended by learned, devout, and religious persons, that Government
cannot be overturned, and having been informed that such is the case of
your country, I am convinced it cannot be subdued.” He also wrote to the
King, “Whereas I have discovered that your disposition resembles that of
our former just Monarchs, I have not injured your country, but having
withdrawn my army, have ceased from attacking you. Farewell.”
12th. I asked the blessings of the Hermits, of the other inspired and
holy persons, and besought their prayers; I also protected the Anchorets
and the Dervishes, I never vexed them, but captivated their hearts; I
exerted myself in arranging the affairs of the Musselmāns, and avoided
killing any of their people; I paid particular respect to the
descendants of the Prophet, and was cautious never to degrade or injure
any of that noble race; I also shunned the discourse of the wicked and
ungodly;
For I had heard that when God elects a person to the government of a
country, and places in his hands the reins of authority over mankind, in
order that he may rule them with justice, if he conducts himself with
equity and propriety, his kingdom endures, but if on the contrary, he is
guilty of injustice and tyranny, and commits unlawful actions, the Lord
renders him childless, and takes away his Dominion and Sovereignty, to
give them to another;—
Wherefore in order to preserve my Sovereignty, I took Justice in one
hand, and Equity in the other hand, and, by the light of these two
lamps, I kept the palace of Royalty illuminated;—
As I had heard that just Kings are the Shadow of God, and that the best
King is he who imitates the disposition of the Lord, in forgiving
sinners, I followed the examples of those just Kings, and forgave my
enemies.
-----
Footnote 12:
Descendants of Muhammed.
CHAPTER II.
I appointed four righteous Ministers to govern my dominions, the first
of these was the praiseworthy Mahmūd, commonly called the _Meteor of
Khorasān_, the next was Nasir Addeen; I gave them positive orders that
they were never to advise me to do any thing that was unjust, that they
themselves should never deviate from the path of rectitude, nor
mis-represent evil for good, that they should always tell me the truth,
and never deceive me by falsehood, and that they should not pry into the
wealth and property of my subjects.
For I had been informed that whenever God Almighty exalts any person to
the throne of Sovereignty, he confers on him special dignity and wisdom,
by means of which he renders mankind obedient to him, this virtue is a
ray of the Grace of God which shines on the Monarch, and as long as he
is grateful for that favour, his fortune and dominion continue to
increase.
Thus when I reviewed my army in the plains of Anatolia, and found that
it extended fifteen miles in length, I considered that this innumerable
host were all obedient to me, and returned thanks to God, for having
made so many of his creatures subservient to my will, although but a
weak mortal like themselves.
When I mentioned this subject to the learned of my court, they said, the
Grace of God has thrown on you a Divine ray, which is called “the Shadow
of God,” as the Prophet hath said, “a just King is the shadow of God,”
by means of which shadow a just Monarch keeps mankind in subjection, and
from the dread of that shadow, the people are obedient, and his power
and authority become current over the empire; wherefore as long I have
been seated on the throne of Sovereignty, I have been ever grateful for
that favour, and have constantly paid respect to the orders of God, by
shewing kindness to his creatures, and have always conducted myself with
equity and justice.
In consequence of this determination, when I had reached my twenty-first
year, I resigned the guidance of my conscience into the hands of the
Pole star of religion, Shaik Zyn Addeen Abu Beker, _Tatyabady_, upon
which occasion he bound round my loins his own shawl-girdle, he then
placed his _own_ cap on my head, and put on my finger a ruby ring, on
which was engraved, (Rāsty va Rūsty) Righteousness and Salvation, and
said, “the aurora of your good fortune will shortly dawn, for I have
seen by inspiration, that in obedience to the orders of the chief of the
descendants of the Prophet (Aly) a man of God will become your tutelar
Saint, it is not convenient that you should _now_ see him, but, the time
will come, when he shall see you, and you shall see him.” Thus when I
was seventy years of age, and was returning in A. H. 806, from the
conquest of Anatolia, I paid my respects to the Kutb al Aārifyn, (Pole
star of Wisdom), Shaikh Sudder Addeen Ardebelly,[13] and having begged
his blessing, requested that he would allow one of his disciples to
accompany me, to be my spiritual guide; he replied, “in the Mountain of
_Salaran_, there is a fountain, the water of which is sometimes cold,
sometimes warm, go thither, and the first person that shall come there
to perform his ablutions, and say his prayers, will be your guide:” in
compliance with the commands of the Shaikh, I went up to the fountain,
performed my ablutions, and having said my prayers, waited with anxiety
to see who should come; to my great surprise, the first person who came
to the fountain in the morning, made his ablutions and prayed, was my
Head Groom, (Myr Akhūr); the second and third day, the same
circumstances were repeated, I was astonished and said to myself, surely
the Shaikh has made a mistake, but addressing myself to the man, I said,
“O Syed, I have hitherto considered you as one of my inferior servants,
how is it that you have attained this dignity and honour;” he replied,
by order of the _Kutb al Aktab_, (Star of Stars), even from the very
commencement of your Sovereignty, I have been the firm supporter of your
government; he then began to say his prayers, in which I joined him;
during this religious act, I experienced both delight and inspiration.
When we had finished our prayers, he said, “O Prince you are at this
moment the Guest of God, whatever the guest asks of his host, is
gratuitously given;” accordingly I wished for Faith, he replied, “the
faith in Muhammed is eternal; it is a city where those who encompass it
proclaim, ‘there is no God but God,’ and those in the interior reply,
‘it is known there is no God but God;’ That city is the Gate of Gates,
and those who enter or come forth from it, are constantly repeating
those words;” at this time I bent down my head in prostration, when I
again raised my head, I saw that my companion had resigned his soul to
his Creator; I was much affected. When I reported the circumstances I
had seen to the Shaikh, he replied, “the arrangement of the affairs of
every country, and the power of placing and displacing of Monarchs, with
the bestowing of Kingdoms on the Worthy, and taking them from the
Unworthy, is in the hands of the True Worshippers, who are the Agents of
God; every country has its peculiar Guardian, or Patron Saint, appointed
by the _Kutb al Aktab_, whilst the Guardian supports the Monarch, the
country flourishes, but otherwise it falls to decay:[14] as long as the
Guardian exists, the State prospers, but whenever he is withdrawn it
declines, and if another Patron is not appointed in his stead, that
dominion is shortly subverted.” The Shaikh continued, “the Man of God,
who had charge of the Kingdom of _Kyser_,[15] died this year, on which
account you have been easily victorious over him.” I considered this was
a warning, that my turn would soon come, but as I had still hopes that
another Patron would be appointed in the room of my deceased saint, I
made an offering to the Shaikh of four thousand captives, natives of
that country, (Rūm)[16] in order to supplicate his intercession.
-----
Footnote 13:
See Appendix IV.
Footnote 14:
The Shaikh must have received some imperfect information of the Patron
Saints of Europe, unless the invention is Asiatic, but I fear this
passage will be thought very obscure.
Footnote 15:
_Cæsar_, being the title assumed by Bajazet and other Ottoman
Emperors.
Footnote 16:
See Appendix IV.
CHAPTER III.
In the year 771, A. H. (A. D. 1378), when I had driven the Jetes[17] out
of Tūran, and mounted the throne (of Tartary), and had directed the
royal proclamation (_Khutbeh_) to be read from all the pulpits, the
Syeds, the learned, the prelates, the rich, and the poor, all raised
their hands (to heaven) in prayer for my prosperity; but Khuajē Abyd,
who was the most celebrated prelate of that time, forbade them to pray
for me, saying, “do not pray for this murderer and blood-thirsty Tūrk,
who has put to death an innumerable number of Musselmāns, nor repeat
blessings on him.” On that very night the Khuajē dreamt that he saw me
standing in the presence of his Holiness the Prophet, that he entered,
and several times made his obedience to Muhammed, without his salutation
being returned, at length he called out, “O Messenger of God, do you
permit this wretch Timūr, who has murdered hundreds of thousands of your
followers, and who has destroyed the habitations of so many Musselmāns,
to stand near you, whilst you do not return the salutation of me who am
the zealous supporter of your religion, and the establisher of your
law?” his Holiness replied to him in an angry manner, “although Timūr
has shed much of the blood of my followers, as he has been the friend,
the supporter, and respecter of my posterity and descendants, why dost
thou forbid the people to pray for and bless him?” The Khuajē having
awoke, came even during the night to me, and asked pardon: when this
intelligence reached the people, they all raised their hands in prayer
for my prosperity, and, considering me as supported by the Divine
favour, bore witness to my right: in gratitude for this favour, I day by
day shewed more respect, attention, and affection to the descendants of
Muhammed, and esteemed myself as the elect of God.
Another circumstance which confirmed me in my opinion, that I had the
Divine support, occurred in the year 804, when I invaded the country of
Anatolia with four hundred thousand cavalry, and Bayazid had drawn out
his army to oppose me; whilst I was reviewing my forces, a party of
three hundred of the Arabs of Irāc, and Syeds of Kerbela and Nejef,
commanded by Syed Muhammed Miftah, came to my assistance, I ordered them
to be admitted, considering their coming as an auspicious omen, and a
proof of the Divine aid. Syed Muhammed, who was also the standard
bearer, advanced and said, “the fourth Khalif (Aly) appeared to me in a
dream, and said to me, carry my white standard to the young Tūrk;”
having consulted the principal persons of Nejef, they agreed that, “you
the Prince Timūr, who have just invaded this country, are the person
meant.” I returned thanks to God for this special favour, and commanded
that the history of the white standard should be recorded in the Royal
Journals.
Soon after this, Aykē-Timūr having come near me, called out, “may the
victory be propitious;” I took the word _Victory_ as an omen, and gave
him charge of the white standard, with orders to go and commence
hostilities: on seeing the white standard, he was much affected, and set
out to comply with my commands.
Another of the omens which afforded me much pleasure was this, when
Tugleck Timūr Khān, the descendant of Jengyz Khān, the first time he
invaded Maveralnaher, and had crossed the Sihūn (Jaxartes), summoned all
the chiefs to meet him. Hajy Berlas was afraid, and preferred emigration
to remaining, therefore set out for Khorasān. I was also divided in my
opinion what I should do, I therefore wrote to my Counsellor (Peer) for
his advice, whether I should go and meet Tugleck Timūr, or, having
collected all my horde and tribe, proceed to Khorasān. He wrote me this
answer:
“It was asked of the fourth Khalif Aly, ‘if the heavens were bows, and
the earths the strings of those bows, and calamities were the arrows,
and mankind the butt of those arrows, and the archer should be God, to
whom ought mankind to flee for succour, the Khalif replied, that they
should flee to God.’ It is therefore your business to advance towards
Tugleck Timūr, to embrace him, and to pluck the bow and arrow from his
arms. Farewell.”[18]
From this letter I received much consolation, and I went and met Tugleck
Timūr on the banks of the Khojend river; he was much rejoiced at my
coming; he made me one of his counsellors, employed me and consulted me
on all occasions, until he received intelligence that his chiefs had
raised the standard of rebellion in the Desht Kipchāk,[19] on this
subject he consulted me, whether he should go himself to quell them, or
should send another army to do so; I said to him, “in your going there
is only one danger, but in sending, there are two, the wise man is he
who chooses the lesser danger;” hereon he praised me exceedingly: again
he consulted me respecting the government of Maveralnaher, I said to
him, “your government resembles a tent, let the poles thereof be made of
the wood of equity, and let the rope pins be firmly fixed in the ground
of justice, so that every person, who enters the tent, may pass out in
safety.”
“Act kindly to the Syeds, the learned, and the prelates of that country,
and preserve the people under the shadow of your justice, do good to the
good, and use policy with the bad, so that you may restrain the soldiers
in the bonds of kindness.”
But he disgusted his chiefs by confiscating the property they had
collected from the people of Maveralnaher, and compelling them to pay it
into his treasury; he consulted me again on this occasion, I told him
“that the minds of the Tūrks were narrow like their eyes, that it was
requisite to satiate them in order to gain their attachment, and to tie
up their tongues.”
As he much approved of my advice, he set out for the Desht Kipchāk, in
order to quell the rebels, and left me in charge of Maveralnaher: he
further wrote an agreement, stating that he had divided the kingdom with
me in a brotherly manner, but this was a mere pretence to keep me quiet
while he was engaged with the rebels.[20]
-----
Footnote 17:
The Translator has sometimes made use of the name Uzbek, by
anticipation.
Footnote 18:
See first Design, page 15, Davy’s Institutes and Sequel.
Footnote 19:
An extensive region situated to the north of the Caspian Sea, bounded
on the west by the Volga.
Footnote 20:
See first Design, Institutes.
CHAPTER IV.
Another of the auspicious omens predicting my future greatness, was
this: in a dream I saw the Prophet Muhammed, “on whom be the Grace of
God,” who congratulated me and said, “in consequence of the support you
have given to my descendants, the Almighty has decreed that seventy-two
of your posterity shall sit on the throne of Sovereignty.” When I awoke,
I wrote all the particulars of this dream to my _Peer_, he replied by
letter, “I congratulate you on this dream, your having seen the Prophet,
(on whom be the grace of God) proves that you will certainly obtain
numerous victories, and that many happy consequences will arise from
this dream. As the Emperor Subuktageen, in consequence of his pity to a
doe, (whose fawn he had caught and released) was honoured by a vision of
the Prophet, who said to him, ‘in recompense of the pity that you this
day shewed to the animal, the Almighty will bestow sovereignty on your
posterity for many generations;’ how much more so will he bestow on you,
who through compassion to the Syeds and other inhabitants of
Maveralnaher, have delivered them from the cruel hands and slavery of
the Jetes; doubtless your descendants shall reign for seventy-two
generations.” To elucidate the circumstance, it becomes requisite to
mention, that, when Tugleck Timūr Khān invaded Maveralnaher a second
time, he sent me a friendly invitation, I therefore went to meet him,
but he broke his promise (of confirming me as Governor of the province),
and gave the country to his son Alyas Khuajē, and made me his Commander
in Chief (Sepah Salar); but when he saw that I was dissatisfied, he
produced the agreement engraven on steel, between my ancestor Kajuly
Behader and Kubyl Khān, wherein it was stipulated that the dignity of
_Khān_ should for ever continue in the posterity of Kubyl Khān, and that
of Sepah Salar with the descendants of Kajuly Behader, and that they
should never oppose each other;[21] when this agreement was read to me,
in order to comply with its contents, I accepted the appointment of
Commander in Chief; but as Alyas Khuajē had no talents for governing,
and permitted his soldiers to extend the hand of rapine, the inhabitants
of Maveralnaher came to me, and complained that the Jetes[22] had
carried off nearly one thousand of their virgin daughters from Samerkand
and its neighbourhood, and that the orders of Alyas Khuajē were not
listened to by his followers; again a number of the Syeds of Termuz came
and complained to me, that the Tūrkish soldiers had carried into
captivity seventy of their brethren and children, all descendants of the
Prophet (on whom be the grace of God): on hearing of this my honour was
roused, I pursued the plunderers, defeated them, and recovered the
captives; on this account the Jetes bound up the loins of animosity
against me, and carried their complaints to Tugleck Timūr Khān, and
wrote to him that I had raised the standard of rebellion, in consequence
of which he issued an edict for putting me to death, which edict fell
into my hands; it was at this time that I had the dream above mentioned.
Another happy omen was this, my _Peer_[23] wrote to me, he had seen in a
vision, that the Almighty had appointed me his treasurer, and that the
keys of the treasury would be consigned to me by his Vizier Mustafā;
this good news exalted my ideas, and induced me to expect success from
fate.
Another time when I was very much annoyed by the oppressions of the
Jetes, and knew not what to do, I received the following letter from my
_Peer_.
“The supported of the Lord, may God continue to protect him; I have seen
in a vision, the messenger of the Lord of all worlds, who has promised
to make you his vicegerent, and support you, and therefore be not
afraid, nor despond, for he is with you.”
I was much rejoiced by this letter, and became strong of heart, although
I was in daily expectation of the arrival of Tugleck Timūr’s edict to
put me to death; and when the edict did arrive, (the Saint) Amyr Kelan,
sent me this verse of the traditions of the Prophet, “Flight is proper
for him who has not the power to oppose.” I therefore fled to Khuarizm,
with sixty horsemen, and wrote a description of my situation to my
_Peer_, and received the following answer to my letter; “may God protect
Abul Munsūr Timūr; let him lay down these four rules for his conduct,
that with the arm of magnanimity he may be successful and prosperous
through life, as is recorded in the traditions.
“1st. Be determined in whatever you undertake, place your undertakings
on faith in God, and do not relax your exertions.
“2nd. Invest yourself with the robe of honour, and permit not
fornication or adultery to be committed in your dominion: It is related
that a Crane once saw in her nest, a young Raven associating with her
young ones, and for several days and nights she permitted it to remain,
at length a number of Cranes collected and tore the owner of the nest to
pieces with their beaks and claws: the honour of a man should far exceed
that of birds, especially that of Princes, which should ever protect the
respectability and reputation of their subjects.
“3rd. Do not neglect consultation, prudence, and caution, for every
dominion which is void of these is soon overturned.
“4th. It is a tradition of the illustrious Khalifs, that stability is
better than perturbation, therefore endue yourself with bravery and
magnanimity;—grace be with him who follows the true direction.”[24]
Another presage of my good fortune was this, a celebrated Astrologer
waited on me, and delivered a plan of my Horoscope, stating that at the
time of my birth, the planets were in so favourable and auspicious
conjunction as certainly to predict the stability and duration of my
good fortune and Sovereignty; that I should be superior to all the
Monarchs of the age; that whoever were my enemies should be subdued, and
whoever were my friends should be prosperous; that I should be the
protector of religion, the destroyer of idols, the father of my people;
that my descendants should reign for many generations, and that they
should be prosperous as long as they continued to support the Muhammedan
religion, but if they should deviate therefrom, their dominion would
soon be annihilated.
-----
Footnote 21:
See second Design, Institutes, page 25.
Footnote 22:
See Note to page 9.
Footnote 23:
See Zyn Addeen (ornament of religion), page 7.
Footnote 24:
Here he relates another instance of his good fortune, in escaping from
Aly Beg, which appears in the History. See page 37 of the Institutes,
therefore omitted here.
CHAPTER V.
About this time I also had an extraordinary dream, I thought I was
seated on the sea-shore, and that I had in my hands a large net, which I
dexterously threw, and caught a number of crocodiles and other large
fish; this dream I interpreted thus, that the net was my dominion, which
shall spread over the face of the globe, and that all mankind will
become subject to me.[25]
Another circumstance which strengthened my faith in the Divine aid, was
this; at the time that I approached the Jete army, under Alyas Khuajē,
and had drawn up my own forces, and put on my armour, whilst I was
considering the plan of the battle, the hour for prayer arrived; after
having made my devotions, I again looked at the plan of the battle, and
then lay down on the spot where I had said my prayers; soon after, I
dreamt that I heard a voice say, “Timūr, victory and success is thine:”
when I awoke, I could not see any body, nor were there any of my
servants or attendants near, I was therefore convinced that the voice
was the voice of an angel, (Hatif Ghyb) or invisible spirit, which I had
heard, and in gratitude, prostrated myself, and returned thanks to God.
From amongst the encouraging circumstances that occurred, was this; at
the period that I invaded Fars, Shāh Munsūr came unexpectedly on me with
five thousand horse, I called out for a spear, but none of my attendants
were in readiness; suddenly I saw a Spearman in the form and dress of an
Arab at my side, who gave into my hand a lance, and said, “O God assist
Timūr,” at this instant Shāh Munsūr fell from his horse, and (my son)
Shāh Rūkh came up with him and wounded him. When I made inquiry for the
Arab, he was no where to be found, but I subdued the province of Fars.
Another extraordinary event was this, at the time that I dispossessed
the Ruler (Valy) of Balkh of his country, my Peer wrote to me, “may the
victorious Timūr consider this note as auspicious; the Guardian Angel of
Khorasān has given the key of that country into your hands, it is
requisite that you shall deliver that province from the injustice of
Sultān Ghyās Addeen.” I was rejoiced by this intelligence, and
immediately set out for Khorasān, and having crossed the Jihun, I
subdued Ghyās Addeen, and took all his stores and treasures.
Another of the proofs of Divine aid which I received, was this, Syed
Mahmūd _Gēsūderāz_[26] waited on me, and congratulated me that Amyr Syed
Aly Hamdāny (another Saint) had deputed him to tell me, that the Holy
Prophet had taken me under his care and protection, in order that I
might propagate the faith of Islam in the extensive region of India: on
receipt of this message, I bound up my loins in the service of Amyr Syed
Aly, because previous to this time while I was at Samerkand, he had used
very harsh expressions towards me, which had very much affected me, but
for which he afterwards apologized. I was however afraid that he was
still incensed against me, till I received this message, when I was
convinced that these people (the Saints) do not harbour malice, I
therefore recovered my spirits.
Soon after this notice, I began to destroy the temples of India, and to
give currency to the Muhammedan religion in that country; when I
destroyed the temple of _Kukel_, which was one of the greatest in that
region, I broke the images with my own hands, previous to which the
Brahmans brought me several loads of gold, and requested me to spare
their gods; I said to them, “I will break your gods, to give them an
opportunity of performing a miracle by healing themselves.” Amongst the
images, was one the size of a man, which they begged me not to break,
and even threatened me with his vengeance, saying, “amongst the
miracles, which the original of this performed, was, his getting sixteen
hundred women with child in one night.” I replied, “the cursed Satan
debauches several thousands of persons in a very short period, therefore
this miracle is of no weight.”
Another extraordinary circumstance was this; whenever I undertook any
thing, I cared not whether it was deemed a lucky or an unlucky hour, but
placing my faith on God, I commenced it, yet the Astrologers always
affirmed that whatever I had undertaken, the hour had been propitious
for the event.
-----
Footnote 25:
Two other Anecdotes have been passed over, as they will again occur in
the History.
Footnote 26:
See Appendix V.
CHAPTER VI.
Another very encouraging presage, was this; when Tugleck Timūr Khān
advanced into Maveralnaher, I was doubtful whether I should go and meet
him; I dreamt that a Falcon came and sat on my hand, and a number of
cattle gathered around me;[27] among the cattle was a Lion, which I
seized, and put a collar on him: the interpretation of this dream was
thus explained; viz. The Falcon was the emblem of good fortune and
sovereignty, the cattle signified abundance and prosperity, the Lion
typified the Monarch, on whom I should place the collar, and subdue him;
being thus encouraged, I went and met Tugleck Timūr Khān.[28]
When I invaded Fars, I saw in a dream, that a number of bottles of wine
had been presented me, and that I broke them in pieces with my sword, by
which means I much injured the sword; the interpretation of this dream
was, that I should suffer some misfortune. It was shortly after this
that Shāh Munsūr attacked me suddenly with five thousand horse, and
although I completely defeated him, nevertheless at that time my troops
were defeated in the desert, by Tucktumush Khān, who forgetting my
kindness to him, and my raising him to be King of the _Desht Kipchāk_,
had watched his opportunity, and attacked me with an army as numerous as
the drops of rain; I therefore wrote to him, “Whoever returns evil for
good, must be a bastard, and will certainly receive his reward; when you
fled from Aurūs Khān, did I not give you an asylum, I released you and
made you King of the _Desht_: as you have not been sensible of my
kindness, but have taken this opportunity to attack me, be assured you
shall suffer for your bad intentions.”
About this period I dreamed, that the sun arose in the east, and having
ascended over my head, became suddenly eclipsed, it then retrograded and
sunk in the east: the interpretation of this dream was, that Tucktumush
Khān was typified by the sun, that he should advance against me, that he
should be defeated, and compelled to retreat by the same road he came;
thus it was that Tucktumush Khān came against me with a numerous army,
but my troops attacked him with the fierceness of lions, and destroyed
them, by which means the tribe of _Jujy_ were plundered and put to
shameful flight, and I returned successful and victorious.[29]
When I was about to invade Arabian Irāc, I dreamed that I had entered a
valley, in which I saw a number of lions, that they came close to me,
and in fact surrounded me: afterwards when I entered that country, I
found that the inhabitants of it, although Arabs by descent, had very
much the features of lions; they however brought me valuable presents,
and I subdued the kingdom of Irāc Arab.
When I was about to invade Hindūstan, and my chiefs, by their
backwardness, rendered me doubtful whether I should proceed; I dreamt
that I was in a large garden, and saw a number of people who were
pruning the trees, and sowing seeds; that the garden was full of trees,
both great and small, on the tops of which the birds had built their
nests; I thought that I had a sling in my hand, and that I destroyed the
nests with stones from the sling, and drove away all the birds: this
dream was realised when I took that country, by my expelling all the
Sultāns, and taking possession of the kingdom.
Again, when I invaded Syria, the armies of Egypt and Constantinople both
joined the Syrians, on which occasion my nobles came to me, and said in
a desponding manner, “to contend with three nations, and to defeat three
armies, requires a greater force than we have;” I was then engaged in
prayer, and soon after having fallen asleep, I dreamt that I ascended a
mountain, and that when I arrived at the top, I was overwhelmed in black
and white clouds, and caught in a whirlwind of dust, this was succeeded
by a heavy shower of rain, which soon laid the dust; the learned of my
court expounded the dream in this manner; viz. “The mountain is the
kingdom of Syria, the black and white clouds are the armies of Egypt and
Syria, the rain is the army of your Majesty, which will shortly
annihilate your enemies, and settle all these disturbances.” I placed
much faith in my dream, persevered in my intentions, and shortly
defeated the armies of Syria and of Egypt, and was successful and
victorious. Again when the _Kyser Bayazid_ (Bajazet) advanced against me
with four hundred thousand warriors, and the shouts of the _Rūmians_
were excessive, I addressed myself to the Prophet and his descendants,
and employed myself in prayer that night; I dreamt that I was travelling
through a wilderness, and that I saw a number of people on all sides, at
this time I observed a great light, which seemed attached to the horizon
of the heavens; I went towards the light, but was interrupted by three
mounds of earth, which fell before me, and from which there arose a
great smoke; I also saw five persons, who having taken the hands of each
other, proceeded before me; from seeing these persons, I felt a degree
of awe and dread, and I heard some one say, this is the Prophet who is
going with his friends to heaven; upon which I hastened, and having
overtaken them, made my obeisance to Muhammed, “upon whom and upon his
descendants be the grace of God.” The prophet made a sign to one of his
four companions who had a club in his hand, to give it me; when I took
it in my hand, it became very long; when I awoke from my sleep, I found
myself exalted and exhilirated by this dream, and became strong of
heart, as if I had been strengthened and aided by the _white standard_
of Aly; and it was in consequence of this dream that I was enabled to
take from the _Kyser_ the kingdom of Rūm.
After this, when I called to mind the toils and labours I had undergone,
in subduing so many countries of the world by the arm of courage, I
considered whether it was likely that my good fortune and sovereignty
should endure, and was anxious to discover which of my sons or
descendants, the Almighty would place upon my throne, in order to
preserve my fame and glory: shortly after this I saw in a dream the
Prophet of God, who told me “that _seventy-two_ persons of my
descendants should be rulers of the earth.”
Still I was anxious on this subject, till I saw in a dream, that I was
sitting under a shady tree, having innumerable branches and leaves, the
top of which reached to the heavens; from the leaves and branches of
this tree, there fell, like a heavy shower of rain, various kinds of
fruit, immediately all sorts of reptiles, birds, cattle, and other
animals, surrounded the tree, and voraciously began eating the fruit;
afterwards they violently attacked each other with their claws and
beaks; when I had tasted the different kinds of fruit, I found some of
them sweet, some sour, some bitter, some insipid, at this time I heard a
voice proclaim, “this is the tree which you yourself have planted;” when
I awoke, the interpreters expounded the dream thus, “you are the tree,
the leaves and branches are your posterity, who shall be the supporters
of your state and sovereignty, and will benefit mankind by their
benevolence.”
-----
Footnote 27:
The late Tippoo Sultān probably took the idea of his dreams from this
work. See the Sultān’s Letters published by Colonel Kirkpatrick in
1811.
Footnote 28:
He here relates two other dreams respecting his brother-in-law, Amyr
Hussyn, and Tukel Behadur, the circumstances of which belong to the
History, and will be related.
Footnote 29:
Jujy, called also Tucky, the eldest son of Jengyz Khān, died six
months before his father, but his sons obtained the kingdom of
Kipchāk, as their portion of his dominions.
CHAPTER VII.
Another time when I had reflected on the past, I repented and was
ashamed of many of my doings and sayings, and soon after dreamt that I
was sitting in a desert, overgrown with thorns and thistles, and that I
was surrounded by dogs, hogs, demons, men and women with frightful and
horrid countenances; I was so terrified by their appearance that I
awoke, and was so much impressed by this dream, that I wrote the
circumstance to my _Peer_,[30] and received from him the following
answer, “that which you saw in a dream was the representation of your
vices and evil actions, such as tyranny, passion, lust, injuring the
creatures of God, avarice, covetousness, envy, and pride, which are all
of the worst quality; therefore change your habits, and you will receive
the reward of good actions and virtuous morals.” In consequence of this
advice, from that time I refrained from injuring mankind, and from all
enmity and strife.
Another time I dreamt that I entered a garden filled with flowers and
odoriferous herbs, in it were also many fruit trees, and running
streams, it was inhabited by beautiful young persons and charming
songsters, also by handsome boys and girls, all of whom came and paid
their respects to me; I was much delighted with them, and so pleased
with my dream, that I again wrote all the particulars to my _Peer_, who
wrote me in answer, “return thanks to God, for the Almighty has shewn
you the representation of your good actions and virtuous deeds, and know
that the Prophet (on whom be peace) hath said ‘every man at his birth
has two devils in attendance;’ I also had them, but by the grace of God,
I have subdued them; it is therefore incumbent on every man to imitate
the conduct of the Holy Prophet, and endeavour to subdue his animal and
brutal passions, and invest himself with good qualities and praiseworthy
morals, by which he may attain eternal felicity. Farewell.”
At the time that I determined on a holy war against the unbelievers of
China (Khāta), and having made my preparations, and marched from
Samerkund, I became doubtful whether my life would last the
accomplishment of this design, and whether I should proceed on this
sacred expedition, or relinquish it; I dreamt that I had climbed a high
tree, and that I was sitting on one of its numerous branches, when the
branch broke, and I fell to the ground; I also thought that I was
carrying a pitcher of wine on my head, and was going along the road,
suddenly the pitcher fell from my head and was broken, and the wine
spilt; I then thought that my Father Teragay took me by the hand, and
led me into a meadow, and having left me there, went away; the
interpreters expounded this dream in a manner that was not satisfactory,
I, therefore, resigned myself to the decrees of Providence.
Also about this time, I dreamt that I was in a frightful desert, and
that I was quite alone, but that after travelling some distance, I came
to a green plain, in the midst of which was a garden; I entered the
garden and found it delightful, it contained fountains and rivulets of
pure water, and trees inhabited by sweet singing birds; in the middle of
the garden I saw a lofty palace, and a stately looking man was seated on
a throne in the hall of the palace, and on his right and left hands
stood numerous attendants, and they had in their hands, papers and pens,
and several volumes were lying before them; I asked what is this man
writing, I was answered, in these volumes the destiny and period of life
of all mankind is written; I wished to inquire how long I had to live,
and what was to be my destiny, but I awoke from my dream.
At the time I invaded the province of Fars, the people of Shirāz took
part with Shāh Munsūr, and having joined him, put my Governor (Hakim) to
death, I therefore gave orders for a general massacre of the inhabitants
of Shirāz, on which, the very religious Syed Abul Ishāk waited on me,
and requested that I would cancel the cruel order, I however would not
listen to the request of the Syed; that very night I dreamt that I saw
the Prophet, (upon whom be the grace of God), who frowned on me and
said, “one of my posterity came to your court and interceded for a
number of culprits, why did you not attend to his petition, that I might
have interceded for you at the court of the Almighty;” when I awoke, I
perceived my error, and immediately mounting my horse, I rode to the
residence of the Syed, and begged his pardon; I also put an immediate
stop to the slaughter, and ordered that Shirāz should in future be
annexed to the royal exchequer, and an annual allowance made to several
of the inhabitants; and I also bestowed on Khuajē Mahmūd, the district
of Mehrjān, and conferred a title on him; I then made a vow that I would
never again reject the petition of a Syed, that I would never be
deficient in respect to them, but that I would always do honour to the
descendants of Muhammed, and the companions of his Holiness; that being
convinced of the obligation of aiding and befriending them, I would more
and more extend my favour towards them.
I communicated all these circumstances to my _Peer_, who immediately
wrote on the margin of my letter, “may God grant all thy desires, and
may this lesson prove auspicious to the posterity of the Prophet,
through the intercession of Muhammed and the Divine grace; in obedience
to the orders of God, and for his sake, you must befriend this class; do
you not see that by honouring and respecting them, you draw down
blessings on your own posterity, and as long as the conduct of the
latter shall be proper, they may hope for aid in this world and the
next; let your kindness to them increase and increase; salvation to him
who follows the true guidance.”
But of all the presages of my future greatness, that which gave me the
most pleasure, and confidence in the Divine aid, was a circumstance that
my Father Teragay told me, he said, “sometime previous to your birth, I
dreamt that a person of a luminous countenance, resembling, in figure
and dress, an Arabian, presented me with a naked scymitar, with which
when I began to fence, there issued from it numerous sparks which
illuminated the whole earth, after which there spouted from my hand a
_jet d’eau_, which threw the water into the air, and which fell in large
drops on the ground; the interpreters being consulted, thus expounded my
dream; of your sons, one will be a world-subduing sword, who will purify
the earth from the defilement (of idolatry), and spread the true
religion over the face of the globe, and will generally benefit mankind,
and his descendants and posterity shall be numerous.”
This omen rejoiced me extremely; I was convinced that Sovereignty was
written in the page of my destiny, but resolved to be contented with
whatever of good or evil might occur to me, and to be satisfied with the
decrees of Providence.
-----
Footnote 30:
Spiritual Counsellor.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEMOIRS OF TIMŪR.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOOK V.
COMMENCEMENT OF THE HISTORY.
--------------
CHAPTER I.
My Father Teragay related to me the following circumstance relative to
my name, “soon after your birth, I took your virtuous mother to pay our
respects to the celebrated Saint Shaikh Shems Addeen, when we entered
his apartment, he was reading aloud the 67th Chapter of the Korān, and
was repeating this verse; ‘Are you sure that he who dwelleth in heaven,
will not cause the earth to swallow you up, and behold _it shall
shake_,’ (Tamurū). The Shaikh then stopt and said, “we have named your
son, Timūr.”[31]
I was much delighted by this anecdote, and returned thanks to God that
my name was taken from the sacred volume; it was also a great inducement
for me to learn that chapter by heart.
When I had attained my seventh year, my father took me by the hand, and
led me to the school, where he placed me under charge of Mullā Aly Beg,
the Mullā having written the Arabic alphabet on a plank, placed it
before me, I was much delighted with it, and considered the copying of
it as an amusement.
When I reached my ninth year, they taught me the daily service of the
Mosque, during which I always read the 91st Chapter, denominated the
_Sun_.
While seated in the school-room, I always took the chief seat, and often
fancied myself the commander of all the other boys. One day a subject of
conversation was started, on which was the best mode of sitting, each
boy gave some answer to the question, when it came to my turn, I said,
the best mode of sitting is on the knees, for Muhammed has commanded,
“whilst in prayer sit on your knees;” on which all the spectators
praised me exceedingly. When we came out from school, we began to play
as children, but I assuming the command, stood upon a high mound, and
having divided them into two armies, caused them to fight a sham battle,
and when I saw one of the parties worsted, I sent them assistance.
At twelve years of age, I fancied that I perceived in myself all the
signs of greatness and wisdom, and whoever came to visit me, I received
with great hauteur and dignity.
At this time I selected four amiable companions, with whom I constantly
associated, and when I attained the sovereignty, I remembered their
claims, as well as those of my other play-fellows and acquaintances, and
promoted each of them according to his deserts.
By the Divine grace, from the time of being nine years old, till I had
reached seventy-one years, I never dined alone, and never walked out
without a friend, and whenever I put on new clothes, on taking them
off,[32] I gave them to my companions; and whatever they asked from me,
I never refused, but gave it without humiliating intreaty.
At fourteen, I had formed an intimacy with a very handsome youth, and
passed great part of my time with his tribe; he was sensible of my
partiality, and also shewed great affection for me, at length a
blackguard of Maveralnaher, who was called _Mullāchē_, and who under the
semblance of a student, had been admitted into the circle of our
acquaintance, took a liking to the youth; but as this fellow was an
entertaining companion, I was pleased with him; this circumstance made
him very vain, and he used to talk in a familiar and obscene way: one
day having given him admission into our society, I overheard the boy say
to him in a familiar manner, “I don’t want your kisses;” I was quite
nettled at these words, and resolved never to allow such impropriety of
conduct, either in myself or others.
At sixteen, my father took me by the hand, and brought me to his own
Monastery, he there addressed me; “my boy, our ancestors from generation
to generation, have been commanders of the armies of the Jagtay and
Berlas family. The dignity of (Sepah Salar) Commander in Chief, has now
descended to me, but as I am tired of this world, and consider it no
better than a golden vase filled with serpents and scorpions, I mean,
therefore, to resign my public office, and retire from it, in order to
enjoy the delights of tranquillity and repose; but as I have founded
this village, and erected this monastery in my own name, to perpetuate
my fame, and that of our family, I must particularly request that you
will not diminish ought of its revenues or privileges.”
My father then related to me the genealogy of our family, extending to
Tumuneh Khān, whose genealogy is carried back in history to Japhet, the
son of Noah,[33] he added;
“The first of our family who had the honour of conversion to the faith
of _Islām_, was Kerachār Nuyan, who was the Gurgān (son-in-law) of
Jagtay Khān, as he was a sensible man, he of his own accord adopted the
faith of Muhammed, and said to his family and people, ‘when I look
around me in the universe, I see but one world, yet I am of opinion that
there are other worlds besides this;[34] but I am also convinced, that
there is one only God who hath created all these worlds, and who is all
sufficient to rule, and direct all these worlds; but as he has chosen
this world as his special dominion, he has deemed it requisite to have
ministers (to instruct mankind): he hath therefore chosen Muhammed to be
his _Vizier_ in this world, and as it was requisite that Muhammed should
have ministers (to extend his religion), he hath appointed the holy race
of _Khalifs_ to this dignity.’
“Now my son, as this speech of our ancestor is quite conformable to my
judgment, I also have become a sincere Musselmān; I request, O Timūr,
“1stly. That you will imitate the example of your illustrious progenitor
in conforming to the sacred religion of Muhammed, (on whom, and on his
posterity and companions, be the peace of God), I intreat you never to
deviate from his law, but ever to respect and honour his descendants and
followers in the persons of the _Syeds_, the learned, and the prelates
of his religion; associate with them, and constantly ask the blessings
of the dervishes, the hermits, and the righteous upon all your
undertakings; obey the commands of God, and have compassion upon his
creatures.
“2ndly. That you will encourage and give currency and support to the
religion of the Prophet.
“3rdly. That you will believe that we are all the servants of God, and
appointed by his decree to inhabit this terrestrial globe; that our
destinies are predicted, and that whatever is written on our foreheads,
must come to pass; as it is decreed that we shall all do so and so, and
have not the power of quitting this world, we must be content with
whatever _fate_ determines, and be satisfied with whatever God shall
give us; we should also assist our poor brethren, and constantly, by
every means in our power, befriend all the creatures of God; let us
always acknowledge the unity of God, and by our practice, strengthen the
four pillars of the law; viz. prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, and alms.
“4thly. Be affectionate to your relations and connections, injure no
person, nor keep any one in bonds, unless the bonds of kindness; deprive
no man of his rights by fraud or tyranny; clothe yourself in the robe of
justice; avoid the society of the bad and wicked; keep no man in prison
more than three days, and distribute provision to the poor and hungry;
and plant yourself in the hearts of your subjects by beneficence,
otherwise you will fall from your power and prosperity.”
When my father had finished his discourse, I promised faithfully to
follow his counsel, and to comply with his advice.
When I attained the age of seventeen, my father being indifferent about
worldly affairs, and in delicate health, I took upon me the charge of
his private affairs, and made the following arrangements; I formed every
hundred sheep into a separate flock, and appointed a shepherd to each
flock, whose profits were to be one fourth of the milk, the butter, and
the wool; I did the same with the goats, separating the wethers from the
females; I likewise denominated every twenty horses a stable, separating
the horses from the mares; also the camels in the same manner.
Of the various omens which predicted my future greatness, one which most
tended to raise my hopes was this; one day I went to pay my respects to
the famous Saint Amyr Kelāl, and when I entered the assembly, I seated
myself at the very lowest end of the room, (literally where the shoes
are taken off); the Saint looked at me and said, “although this boy is
in appearance so little and young, he is in fact, a great personage;” he
then made room for me near himself, and after looking at and conversing
with me for some time, he fell into a slumber; after he awoke, one of
his servants presented to him a tray of bread and sweetmeats, he
stretched out his hand, and having taken seven cakes and sweetmeats,
gave them to me, saying, “eat a mouthful of each of these, in
consequence of which, the _seven regions of the world_ shall become
subject to you;”[35] I was astonished at these words, and the people of
the assembly looked first at each other, and then on me, but through awe
of the Saint, no one ventured to speak; I therefore folded up the cakes,
and carried them to my father, who said to me, “Kelāl is a great
personage, a descendant of the Prophet, a seeer of visions, and a worker
of miracles, whatever he has told you of his visions, will certainly
come to pass; take care of these cakes, and do not give of them to any
body, but regard them as the greatest blessing from the blessings of
that holy personage.”
Some time after this event, my father went with me to pay his respects
to the Saint, who said to him, O Prince;
(_Here follows a line in the Jagtay Tūrky._)
at this time there was a basket of nuts before him, he ordered my father
to count them; after he had done so, he informed him that there were
three hundred and seventy nuts, the Saint said, “each of these three
hundred nuts signifies a year, the remainder are the number of Timūr’s
posterity, which shall reign for three hundred years;” he then presented
the basket to my father, which I took, and placed the nuts with the
cakes; when I mentioned these circumstances to my mother, she took my
head between her hands and blessed me: the cakes and the nuts remained
in my possession for many years, during all which time my prosperity
encreased.
Some time after the affair of the nuts, my mother went also to pay her
respects to the Saint, and was most graciously received, at length he
said to her,
(_Here follows a verse in the Jagtay Tūrky._)
“Seventy of Timūr’s sons, grandsons, and descendants, shall reign for
the term of three hundred years, provided that they make no change of
(the Muhammedan) religion, but give currency to the faith of Islām;
neither shall they vex nor injure the descendants of the Prophet, but do
every thing in their power to give him satisfaction for the blessing he
conferred on mankind; bounty shall be heaped upon bounty, and prosperity
added to prosperity, as long as they continue to shew kindness to the
relatives and descendants of his Holiness.”
When my mother reported to me the conversation of the Saint, although
then only seventeen years of age, I made a solemn vow to the all
merciful God, that I would never neglect the descendants of the Prophet,
but do every thing in my power for their honour.
-----
Footnote 31:
See Appendix VI. Also Sale’s Translation of the Korān, page 437.
Footnote 32:
It is said that the Afghans never change their clothes till worn out.
Footnote 33:
See Introduction.
Footnote 34:
See Appendix VII.
Footnote 35:
Many of these Santons were considered as deranged, but their
predictions were not the less credited.